Staying Safe Online · Email & Message Tricks · Lesson 4 of 5

Reporting & Blocking

Report fake emails and texts, block senders and warn the real company.

Report and block in your email

When you spot a fake email, don't just delete it. Report it first. Reporting teaches your email service to catch more fakes like it, for you and for others.

In Outlook:

1. Click the email to select it.
2. Click Report at the top. On some versions, right-click the email and choose Report.
3. Choose Report phishing for a scam, or Report junk for plain unwanted ads.

In Gmail on a computer:

1. Open the email.
2. Click the three dots next to the Reply arrow. This is the More button.
3. Click Report phishing.

Spam or junk means unwanted email. Gmail calls its junk folder Spam. Outlook calls it Junk Email.

To stop one sender for good, you can block them. Blocking means their emails no longer reach your inbox.

• In Outlook, right-click the email and look for Block, then Block sender.
• In Gmail, open the email, click the three dots and choose Block with the sender's name.

Scammers change addresses often, so blocking one won't stop them all. Reporting still helps.

Didn't mean to report a real email? Open your Junk or Spam folder and mark it as not junk.

Scam texts and the real company

Scams come by text message too. In the US, you can report a scam text for free by forwarding it to 7726. Those numbers spell SPAM on a phone keypad. Your phone company uses these reports to block scammers.

To forward a text on most phones:

1. Press and hold the message.
2. Tap Forward or More, and send it to 7726.

Your phone may also show Report junk or Block under a message from an unknown number. Using those is fine too. Never reply to a scam text, not even with STOP, unless you know the sender.

You can also tell the real company. Many big companies have a page for this. Search for the company's name plus 'report phishing', then pick a result on the company's own website. Many banks list a reporting email or phone number on their site. You can also call the number on the back of your card.

For the US government, report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. That is the Federal Trade Commission, which tracks scams to help stop them.

If you already clicked, typed a password, or paid:

• Change that password right away.
• Call your bank using the number on your card.
• Don't be hard on yourself. Acting fast helps a lot.